EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

diets (Reich et al. 2010, Vander Zanden et al. 2010).
Diving
Loggerhead diving behavior varies based upon habitat, with longer surface stays in deeper
habitats than in coastal ones. Routine dives can last 4–172 min (Byles 1988, Sakamoto et al.
1990, Renaud and Carpenter 1994). The maximum-recorded dive depth for a post-nesting
female was over 230 m, although most dives are far shallower (9-21 m (Sakamoto et al. 1990).
Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
Species description and distribution.
The Kemp's ridley turtle is the smallest of all sea turtles. It was formerly known only from the
Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. (TEWG 2000); however, there have
been recent records of Kemp’s ridley turtles in the Mediterranean Sea (Tomas and Raga 2008).
Status
In 1970, the Kemp’s ridley turtle was listed as endangered under the ESA (35 FR 18319). The
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the species as critically
endangered. It was once considered the most endangered sea turtle (NRC 1990a, USFWS 1999).
NMFS has not designated critical habitat for Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.
Population designations, abundance, and trends
Kemp’s ridley females lay their eggs in synchronized nesting events called aribadas. The species
was once abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, with arribadas of 40,000 turtles at Rancho Nuevo,
Mexico (Hildebrand 1963). By 1978, arribadas had declined to ~200 turtles (USFWS and
NMFS 1992, TEWG 2000). Protection led to increases in abundance in the early 1990s. By
2006, there were approximately 7,866 nests at Rancho Nuevo and ~12,000 nests throughout
Mexico which translates to an estimated 4,000 females nesting annually (Rostal et al. 1997,
USFWS 2006, Rostal 2007) and a total population size of 7,000 – 8,000 adult females (Marquez
et al. 1989, TEWG 2000, Rostal 2007). In Mexico, there were 17,882 nests in 2008 (Gladys
Porter Zoo 2008) and 21,144 nests in 2009 (Gladys Porter Zoo 2010). In 2010, nesting declined
to 13,302 nests (Gladys Porter Zoo 2010) but recovered to 20,570 nests in 2011
(http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/SeaTurtles/Turtle%20Factsheets/kemps-ridley-sea-turtle.htm).
A successful head-start program has resulted in the reestablishment of nesting at South Padre
Island: in 2011, 199 turtles nested on Texan beaches
(http://www.nps.gov/pais/naturescience/current-season.htm).
Threats
The primary cause for the mid-century decline in Kemp’s ridley turtles was overharvesting of
turtles and eggs. This threat has subsided in recent years. Habitat destruction remains a concern
in the form of bottom trawling and shoreline development. Finkbeiner et al. (2011a) estimated
that at least 98,300 individuals are caught annually in U.S. Atlantic fisheries (resulting in at least
2,700 mortalities). Kemp’s ridley turtles have among the highest levels of PCB and DDT (Pugh
and Becker 2001). Oil can also be hazardous to Kemp’s ridley turtles, causing significant
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